Specific breed brochure - Breed Nutrition

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The history of Rottweilers
The Rottweiler’s roots probably go back to ancient Rome. Mastiff-type sheepdogs from
Mesopotamia and Assyria were employed by Roman legions to control and accompany cattle kept
to feed the troops. These dogs were also responsible for protecting people and livestock from the
attacks of predators and bandits.
Rottweil and the Rottweilers
Roman soldiers founded a town, which they called Arae Flaviae, in what’s now the region around
Baden-Württemberg of present-day Germany, probably around 74 AD. The post was an important
stop on the Roman road that crossed the south of what was called Germania.
Renamed Rottweil at some time, probably due to the red tiled
roofs (Rote Wil) that characterised it, the town was – and
remained until the nineteenth century – the site of a major
livestock market that attracted butchers from the south of the
German lands. The dogs that guarded the animals were initially
known as Metzgerhund (literally butcher’s dog), before
adopting the Rottweiler name. Trade with Swiss, Hungarian
and French butchers probably led to crosses with other herding
dogs. The Rottweiler’s coat for instance could be
influenced by the Swiss cattle dogs.
The dogs were selected on the basis of their ability to lead
and guard cattle as well as their protective aptitudes. They
were also sometimes used to pull small carts of meat. The following
prized qualities are still found in Rottweilers today:
• Compact format and off-putting size
• Strength, courage and endurance
• Confidence and a well-developed guarding instinct
• Calmness and robustness
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